I am curious. How many mails roughly do you receive per day? Oh yeah, i also got tested recently those "15" mins quick test type. I got a negative. But are those instant tests accurate? Can i woohoo? Keep up the good work btw, you seem more personal and approachable than other specialist in other forums because of your funny and always interesting replies.

- Robert W (Yeah i am really called Robert but i wish i am italian)

Response from Dr. Frascino

Hello Italian Wannabe,

How many? Well I'm not sure exactly. I'd say it's a number somewhere between the number of jobs that have been lost since Dubya took office and the number of dollars represented by our current federal deficit.

Regarding your rapid HIV test, the FDA has approved two rapid test kits: OraQuick HIV-1 Antibody Test (OraSure Technologies) and SUDS HIV-1 Test (Murex Diagnostics, marketed by Abbott). Results are available within 20 minutes. The sensitivity and specificity exceed 99%. Other rapid tests are under review by the FDA, and may be approved sometime in the future. A negative rapid test taken at the appropriate time is considered definitive. A positive test needs confirmation by standard serology to be considered definitive.

Finally, I think you are perhaps the same Robert W. who asked a question about the cause of Ashcroft's gallstone pancreatitis right? We don't really know the exact cause of that illness, but the best theory I've heard so far is that he may have picked up something while wiping his butt with the Bill of Rights.

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